فصلنامه مشکوه
پیاپی 120 (پاییز 1392)

In the past few decades, discussion on the critique of hedonistic and self-centered philosophy of ethics in the conventional economics has been of concern to the Muslim thinkers, particularly, Muslim economists.The present study is an introduction to pleasure and happiness with a focus on their interrelation from the viewpoint of the Qur’ān and traditions. The basic hypothesis of this article is that in line with the tendency to happiness, Islam enjoys an al-inclusive, coordinated, and moderate viewpoint concerning gratification of pleasures in the development of various human personality dimensions. We have used the “attributive” research method for identifying the concepts of pleasure and happiness and employed the “content analysis” method for the part relating to analyzing.The results confirm that from the viewpoint of Islam, pleasures are to be utilized in such a way that would be consistent with all the capacities and components of human personality; and that man would achieve true happiness only by properly believing and understanding the pleasures of the Hereafter. Paying attention to a moderate Islamic approach reflects the necessity of cultural engineering of pleasure and the Islamic ethics-oriented happiness, paving the ground for enunciating general orientations for institutionalizing pleasure-seeking and prosperous behavior required by Islam.

All the lovers and devotees of Imam ‘Alī (A.S.) try to find their way into the repertoire of his personality, wherein to acquire as much knowledge (ma‘rifa) as a drop from a sea. How come he is generous and big-hearted, and at the same time calculating and equitable; sometimes he is very serious and decisive, and sometimes tolerant and easygoing; sometimes combative, zealous, and revolutionary and sometimes quiet and prudent? Manifesting these attributes has given rise to questions and doubts concerning his unknown personality. Touching upon ten examples of these contradictory manifestations, it will be proved in this article that the criterion in the Imam’s (A.S.) conducts has merely been for obeying God and seeking His pleasure; and that, being a manifestation of the most Beautiful Names of God, he has at different times had a different manifestation.

The Qur’ān is an eternal, living, and guiding truth for all ages and generations. Also, many doctrinal teachings and ordinances have been included in the Qur’ān’s addressing, including the Qur’ān’s anecdotal proclamations. Since these addressings and verses concern the time of Revelation and the past communities, some have assumed that these ordinances and doctrinal teachings do not have any relation to the present time, hence presuming the non-eternality of some part of the Qur’ān! In the present article, this presumption is repudiated and the eternality of the anecdotal addressings of the Qur’ān is proved. Noticing the admonitions and the wisdom of the stories of the Qur’ān, identification with the story, and the reciprocal dialogue of the Qur’ān and man are among the approaches for the updated perception of the Qur’ān’s stories.

Talking about punitive methods, the stories of the Qur’ān seek to persuade human beings to remember, think, and take warnings. The main question in this writing is what the method and stages of punishment in the stories of the Qur’ān are. The research is carried out by library method and using the results obtained through the research and investigations performed on this subject. The major conclusion of the article is that punishment is a corrective and preventive procedure that has to be employed with utmost care and accuracy so that the main objective of the stories of the Qur’ān, which is to improve the individual and the society, is properly achieved.

The element of dialogue in narrative story and literature recounts, in a tangible way, the adventures of the story from the beginning to the end for the audience by means of unveiling the thoughts and opinions of the story’s characters and incidents.The article seeks to analyze the element of dialogue in aḥsan al-qiṣaṣ (the best of stories), i.e., the story of Prophet Yūsuf (A.S.) in a descriptive-analytical method and examines its relation to other elements of the story such as characterization, conflict, and description of situation. Looking at this story from the viewpoint of the element of dialogue, it can be perceived that, besides increasing the quality of the narration, the presented conversations would uncover the features and identity of the characters, as well. The story line and the situation of the incidents also develop with the element of dialogue. Furthermore, the conflict presented in the dialogues has freed the story from monotony and, by increasing its attractiveness, has prepared the ground for receiving educative tips.

There have been sādāt families in Iran since long time ago. From among them, a group have achieved high level of scholarship in such a way that they won considerable popularity in their own time and their reputation spread all over the country, even throughout the world.Although dispersedly addressed in between books, the information concerning the sādāt family has not been found anywhere in a formulated manner. Touching upon the six main branches of sādāt families in Iran, this research has undertaken to introduce 49 learned scholars of the Shī‘a sādāt of this country.